Help with Winchester 94 Big Bore .375

[JNewell]

I could use a little help with a Winchester 94 Big Bore in .375 I'm going to be looking at tomorrow. The only thing I know for sure is that it doesn't have a cross-bolt safety. Doing research tonight, I see that there were angle eject and top eject models...and that some were made by Olin/Winchester and some by USRAC.

Which are the better rifles, and why? Is AE better than top eject if you never plan to mount a scope? Are some receivers cast and others forged? Was Olin quality better or worse? Any help is very much appreciated.

 

[shootinstudent]

The only problem I'm aware of with angle eject is that it's ugly.

That's a great level gun and caliber if you ask me. I've seen some bad-looking winchesters and some good looking ones; I'd just take a look at the actual gun. If it looks well built and worth the money, and you want an obscure but neat round, go for it.

 

[SwampWolf]

They're both (actually, all) forged. As to which is the "better" one, IMO they're about equal. I don't believe the AE model offers any advantage over the nonAE models if no scope is used.

 

[Gewehr98]

I understand the .375 Winchester round had a solid grounding...

As the older .38-55, albeit bumped up to handle hotter pressures.

As such, you have a very versatile carbine, either loaded down to .38-55 velocities for target or smaller edible game, or run full-steam for deer, etc.

.375 Winchester brass is still out there, you may have to look a bit.

Myself, I'd love to have a big-bore 94 in .375 Winchester. I'd run a 240-260gr cast bullet and go thumping stuff!

 

[deus_sol_invictus]

My dad has one..

He picked up a box of cartridges for $22 or so at a local FFL. He loves the rifle and has killed at least a half-dozen or more whitetails with it.

 

[Old Time Hunter]

#1. Olin still makes periodic production runs of 200 gr. PowerPt .375Win ammo.
#2. Wisconsin Cartridge Company has 220 gr. JFP available at a reasonable price.
#3. I have a top eject, pre USRAC '94 BB .375. I suggest you do not scope it unless you plan on hunting your game at one specific range. The scope has to be side mounted and the parallel will only cross at one specific point for all three axis (elevation, windage, and bullet trajectory). That being said, both Williams and XS Systems, make excellent sight systems for this rifle. One has a small aperture system and the other a ghost ring system. By the way, the standard sights are fine for 100 yards, possibly a couple of hundred for young bucks.
#4. The AE (Angle Eject) is just as good as the top eject. It's intent is to be scope friendly and it is. Mount Weaver 403 and 95 mounts with Burris Zee Rings (at least medium height) and roll your scope over 90 degrees. Works great!

That all being said, it is a great hunting rifle. Without the scope it has the balance and point to shoot capabilities as all the other '94 Winchesters, with more down range knock down power of the 30-30's, 32 spec,and 35 Rems. Without the kick of the .444, .356, and the .307.

Great gun, just make decission on whether you want to scope(AE) it or not

 

[JNewell]

The rifle turns out to be a Win/Olin top eject. I am OK on handloading for it, though bullet choice seems a little limited. I am trying to decide whether this rifle does anything for me that existing rifles don't...I have an 1895 GG on the larger side and a couple of .30-30s on the smaller side. The asking price seems a little high on this one.

 

[Gewehr98]

Since I'm not a big fan of scoping leverguns...

If you don't go for the top-eject Big Bore .375 rifle, shoot me a PM with the asking price and seller, it looks like a lot of fun.

BTW, why roll a scope 90 degrees on the Burris Zee mounts? Then your elevation and windage turrets are out of whack, especially if you have some sort of rangefinding or post reticle. Is the windage turret in the way of something otherwise?

 

[Old Time Hunter]

Jnewell,

Here is mine, 375BB w/XS Ghost Sights. Well, I was going to show you but can not figure out how to attach.

 

[Old Time Hunter]

Gewehr98, Yep! the windage adjustment on some scopes ends up in the flight pattern of the ejected shell. Since I only use scopes with standard cross hairs or circle, it never dawned on me that a post would be horizontal. It does not change the way you adjust to zero, except that the windage is now the elevation and the windage is on the left. By the way, I believe that the attached is my 375 w/Ghost Sights.

 

[AH-1]

just some notes from my reloading bench.I bought one of the early 375 win BB94's.
I really like the williams FP reciever sight.

I have dropped alot of deer with mine both with cast and jacketed bullets.

the hornady 220 gr fp is a excellent killer.with my rifle the sweet spot is..

hornady 220 gr
36.0 grs RL-7
win brass
win lr primer

never had a runner.

for cast I use the 264 gr gc lyman mould.these are 277 gr with lube and gas check.
I ordered a rcbs 37-250 last week and should be in by friday.
I size my cast bullets .377.
in my rifle cast loads around 1600-1700 fps shoot the best.2400/imr 4227 are very good powders.going to try some AA 5744 soon.
hope this helps
pete

 

[Old Time Hunter]

AH-1, Did you ever Chrono the 220 gr Hornady w/RL-7? Have you come up with a set up that can match the velocity of the 200 gr factory PowerPT from Olin? Using a 220 gr Hornady? I am in a league that is open sights, 220 gr min wt, w/min .35 cal, no spitzer bullets. The 200 factory is dead nuts across the 75yd, 100yd and 125yd range. I have a .356 I can use, but it is still NIB and the value is way up there. The .375 fits perfectly into the parameters, but I am having trouble coming up with a proper charge to push the velocities to get the trajectory under 1" through the 3 range sets. It does it all day long w/200gr factory Winchesters, but the have a 2250 fps out of the box. My best so far is with N-130 w/36 gr and it pushes a 220gr at 1900fps. By the way, I also use this rifle for hunting.

 

[AH-1]

in almost 40 years of hunting I have only once shot a deer over 100 yards .instead of max velocity I want max accuracy.
the load above does a big number on deer.a couple of years ago I dropped a nice 8 pt here in texas and it didn't go 10 feet and it was down with the hornady 220's.
last year I use my win 94 30-30 and a neck shot dropped it in its tracks.
bullet placement is everything.
pete

 

[Ultima-Ratio]

Winchester .375

The key to optimum performance is to use 38-55 brass, it holds more powder and the powder of choice is AA-1680

 

[Old Time Hunter]

AH-1, I think you might have not understood what I am trying to accomplish. The goal is to have a 220 grain .375 maintain a consistent trajectory from 75 yds, 100 yds, and 125 yds. Knowing that the 200gr factory round from Winchester maintains the trajectory that I want, I am trying to duplicate with a 220 grain (because that is what our league rules state as a min). Because this is a open sight, free standing league (no benches, but you can sit) with a .35 cal or larger diameter and no spitzer type bullets, I felt that my .375 would be just about perfect. That being said, the deviation over the three ranges has to be closer than what I am currently producing. As I have increased the speed, the trajectory has flattened out a bit and I was asking if you have experienced any 220 Grain .375 Win loads that are capable of 2200fps. Mathematically, at that speed and weight, it should give me the correct trajectory that I am looking for. Given the rules of engagement, you are not allowed much time for "adjusting" to the distance, since the range is set randomly through each of six sets (3 minutes max per set) with three shots each.

 

[AH-1]

try this and see if it will help.
http://www.handloads.com/calc/

pete

 

[Old Time Hunter]

AH-1 Thanks, it still comes out to 2200fps min to get the JSP 220 to a 2" variance from 75 yds to 125 yds. I 'll have to keep trying.